Summer at Horizon
by Aurelia Alair
Summary: What exactly happens at Horizon during the summer? Sort of 2 month summer camp for dysfunctional teens, almost. Familiar characters remain as well as new ones created.
1. Chapter 1

Here is my take on what happens at Horizon during the summer. Please review.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Mount Horizon – the school for emotionally distraught and dysfunctional teens. But what exactly happens to the place during the summer? No, the counselors do not take a 2-month vacation – far from it, actually. Some of the regular school year students stay, while others come for a 2-month session. This session is sort of concentrated therapy used as a transition to see whether they can fare back at normal school in the fall.

Instead of individually meeting new students every few months or so, the students are put into groups of no more than eight. The groups consist of any remaining members of the regular year and new students. The Cliffhangers were no exception. Peter was taking turn getting the groups introduced with each other and their individual counselor. The Cliffhangers were with Sophie in a classroom used for English during the school year. There were 8 teenagers total in the room, quite divided on either side of the room – Oldies vs. Newbies.  
  
"Okay guys, introduction time," Peter began "The new students already met Sophie and myself during check in, so why don't the veterans start off with themselves, Ezra?"  
  
"Hi, I'm Ezra Friedkin," replied a skinny boy with black hair, "I've been here awhile now, fleeing form parent who adopted me in hopes of saving their disastrous marriage, and also from an unfortunate drug addiction."  
  
"Nice introduction, Ezra," commented Sophie "How about you next, Juliet?"  
  
"My mother is too busy with husband number 5 to have me home for the summer," a skinny brunette girl stated, "But I am also here dealing with hurting myself."  
  
"I'm Daisy. Alcoholic parents led to my hyper maturity and eventual attack of my father with a golf club. So now I am here because I do not have a home to go to anymore," replied a pale girl with dark hair.  
  
"I'm here because there was no way I was leaving Ezra alone with Daisy all summer!" exclaimed a tall boy with dark hair.  
  
"David!" scolded Sophie.  
  
"It's the truth," David winked at his girlfriend sitting next to him.  
  
"Okay how about the new guys and gals talk about themselves a little."  
  
A boy about age 16 with light brown hair started, he was tall, but not gawky. Although he had an attractive face, he seemed uncomfortable in his own skin.  
  
"Um, hi. I'm Taylor Wharton. I had trouble fitting in school, picked on and stuff, so my parents thought it would best if I got away from my town for a while," Taylor explained.  
  
"Okay, thanks for sharing. Next?" moved along Peter.  
  
"My name is Constance Ludwig. I am here cause I'm clinically depressed and a summer at home with my family would put me over the edge," remarked a tall 17-year-old girl, with wavy black hair and slightly tanned skin.  
  
"Uh yeah, I'm clinically depressed too," replied a 17 year old boy with shaggy ginger hair falling over his eyes "Um, my name's Steven Steifal, but I also had problems with uh – drugs and stuff."  
  
"How about you?" Sophie calmly asked a small, pale girl with dark blonde hair, who was trying to fade in the corner.  
  
"Um, I'm Daphne Gray," she replied in a small voice "Up until recently I didn't want to be alive, so there was no where else for me to go. I don't want to talk anymore."  
  
"That's fine for now," answered Peter, "Alright, well we have a perfect number for first week buddies so here goes – Ezra and Taylor, Jules and Constance, David and Steven, and Daisy and Daphne. I want everyone to meet for dinner in the cafeteria in fifteen minutes." 


	2. Chapter 2

For more insight into the Daphne character, here is the short piece I wrote that I based her character on - I can not seem to link it, but it is on fictionpress.net under my name Aurelia Alair and is called "This is Best for Us."

Chapter 2  
  
"So what do you think of the new group?" Sophie asked Peter after the Cliffhangers left the classroom.  
  
"I think they have an interesting dynamic," he replied "I think a summer away from home is just what some of them need. But others, well one in particular, I am not so sure if any amount of therapy is ever going to really help. But that is why we are here, to try."  
  
"You mean Daphne?" Sophie asked "What exactly happened with her? I haven't gotten her file yet."  
  
"Yeah, I was looking over it again," Peter answered "She is going to be here for the regular year as well, but her mother thought it was best she start here as soon as possible. She was a real loner except for her neighbor, a boy named Adrian. They were each other's only friend. About 8 months ago they attempted a double suicide – walked off a cliff together. He fell to bottom and died instantly, but she got snagged and landed a ledge about halfway down. She was in a coma for 5 weeks and in recovery and on suicide watch for months after. She could never forgive herself for letting Adrian die alone. Her doctors and psychiatrists put her a series of medications and through intense therapy and think her suicidal urges have stopped for now, but she is no way recovered from her pain. Now that is our job."  
  
"I had no idea, Peter," stated a stunned Sophie "I hope we are enough here to help her."  
  
"So do I," replied Peter.


	3. Chapter 3

Here is my take on what happens at Horizon during the summer. Please review.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
In the cafeteria, one of the counselors posted two schedules of the events that were to take place over the summer. The old students groaned, while the new students worried. The schedule involving the cliffhangers read as follows:  
  
Events – Cliffhangers, Mountain Gliders, and Ridge Runners  
  
July 1: New Student Move-in Day.

July 2-5: Getting acquainted period. Group activities and therapy.  
New students – Hiking and camping workshops.  
Old students – Aid new students in hiking and camping workshops.

July 6-12 : Cliffhangers – 1st hike and camp.  
Mountain Gliders – Water Trek and camp.  
R.R- campus activities.

July 13-14 : Free days.

July 15-21 : Ridge Runners – 1st hike and camp.  
Other groups – campus activities.

July 23-28 : Mountain Gliders – 1st hike and camp.  
Cliffhangers – Water trek and camp.  
R.R. – campus activities.

July 29-31 : Free days.

August 1-7 : Cliffhangers – 2nd hike and camp.  
Ridge Runners – Water trek and camp.  
M.G. – campus activities.

August 8-16: Mountain Gliders – 2nd hike and camp.  
Other groups – campus activities.

August 17-20: Ridge Runners – 2nd Hike and camp.  
Mountain Gliders – campus activities  
Mountain Gliders – Solos

August 21-24: Cliffhangers – Solos

August 25-28 : Ridge Runners – Solos

August 28 – 31: Final Activities and Farewell ceremony. See your group counselor to find out your schedule for your individual counseling session.  
  
Constance and Steven were the first Cliffhangers to make there way over to see the schedule. None the veteran Horizon students seemed particularly interested.  
  
"So in between activities, we basically have 2 hiking trips and water trek and then a solo – whatever the hell that is," concluded Constance.  
  
"Well, as long as it doesn't involve being deserted in the woods for days," began Steven, "I guess I can handle it."  
  
"Yeah, they wouldn't do something as sick as that," laughed Constance as she shook her wavy black hair "But at least I'd have my discman to keep me company, I'm kinda addicted to listening to it."  
  
"Yeah, me too. I never go any where without it," stated Steven "In fact I was listening to Taking Back Sunday last night while trying to fall asleep, but it ended up under my pillow where – oh SHIT! Under my pillow where I left it this morning. Argh 2 months with no music! Shit, shit, shit!!"  
  
"Well, I'd let you borrow mine," smirked Constance "But I don't know you well enough. It is my prized possession after all."  
"Well, maybe we could change that," suggested Steven as he tucked a piece of his shaggy ginger hair behind his ear.  
  
"Maybe," replied a slightly taken aback Constance.  
  
The pair was beginning to get looks from the rest of the cliffhangers so they joined their table and sat next to their first week buddies. Daisy and David were eyeing each other from across the table, while Ezra looked a little distracted. Juliet was pushing her food around her plate, obviously upset while Taylor just seemed to be trying to get a feel for the place. Daphne picked at her food, avoiding all eye contact.  
  
"So what's Horizon really like?" asked a curious Taylor.  
  
"It's not so bad when they actually leave you alone, but sometimes their help gets a bit annoying," explained Ezra.  
  
"I'd rather be at home," Juliet pouted darkly "But Mother thinks its better if I stay here. Two months without seeing Augusto!"  
  
"You actually want to go home?" asked a perplexed Constance "I'm so glad to get sway from it all."  
  
Later that night, the Cliffhangers were preparing for lights out. Daisy approached Constance.  
  
"No offense," she began "But you don't seem very...well 'clinically depressed' or anything. Actually, you seem relatively normal."  
  
"Well, I get to spend the entire summer away from my family and I appear to be among the lesser messed up people, for once. But..." replied Constance as she revealed an arm full of self-inflicted scars "I'm not exactly normal."  
  
"Sorry, I didn't figure."  
  
"It's fine."


End file.
